Pastor’s Corner

Trivia:

Yes the comic stri with that featured Snoopy was peanuts. Charles Schultz single handedly wrote a series of stories from 1950-2000. In fact believe it of not his characters appeared in 2,600 different newspapers, and was translated into 21 different languages.

Here’s a Bible trivia; What is the shortest book in the Bible? Nahum; Obadiah; Philemon; 3rd John. ?

Psalm 107:10-15

“Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery. 11 They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Moist High. 12 That is why He broke them witrh hard labor; the fell, and no one was there to help them. 13 “Lord, help!” the cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. 14 He led them from darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains. 15 Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.”

In this Psalm apart from the Lord’s merciful deliverance the writer helps us picture just how our Loving Father delivered the saints of the past (vs. 4-9) those lost in the desert. Today we recognize His deliverance from life’s many prisons. This second picture reminds of the nations captivity in Babylon (for 40 years). This had come upon them due to their rebellion against God’s instruction, and refusal to obey His Word.

In this particular time period they were overwhelmed with the load of hard labor, which seemingly overwhelmed them. Have you ever felt this way in your life? The load that you were suppressed by was beyond your ability to see past? The verses to follow (vs. 13-15) lifted their hearts when they cried out to the Lord, He saved them from their bondage. Their dark, deep gloom was released, their distress was broken, and the gates of bondage were cut apart, opened up. Freedom was theirs.

Yesterday we were reminded of the great beauty that is ours here in this country, by Marc Fogel who had been held captive for 3 years in a russian prison and we witnessed his response to the freedom as our nations leaders made an appeal for his deliverance.

In the same way our loving Jesus appeals to our Heavenly Father for our freedom that He died for, on the cross, to earn our forgiveness for our sins. We are forgiven not as a result of our actions, but due to Christ’s payment for our sins.

Can you remember a time when you deserved punishment but instead a person in authority in your life responded to your contrition and declared you forgiven? I’m sure you can remember such a time in your childhood. I had many experiences that such was the case. I particularly remember one time early in my driving days where I backed into a friends car and dented his car & mine. The parking lot was dark that night, and we saw no damage to our cars. However, in the light of day the damage was clearly visible. Fortunately, our parents were both understanding due to our inexperience at driving and we were forgiven.

In the same way our Father forgives our sins, when we ask to be forgiven, He responds with compassion and renewal.

SO GO WITH GOD for our Father’s forgiveness is firmly passed onto us, when we but repent and call on Him for forgiveness.

As He speaks to us in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will given you rest.” This is such an important promise that it is repeated more than 600 times in the Bible.

Oh the love of God is beyond any limit my dear one, run to Him for rest and He will free you of all those challenges in your life.